The Blue Bird of Happiness
by SophieStaar
Summary: "Zoro was clutching his pure white microphone with a stern look on his face. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on his breathing, feeling as the air filled his lungs and then let it out almost completely. His heartbeat calmed a little and he reopened his eyes, glancing at the mic in his hand. It was the only proof of their promise." ZoSan rapper AU.
1. Chapter 1

**I'm here with the new story I promised~ Have some fun in the world of rappers! **

**I have to thank three people in particular: **

**_gagakuma_ (hesmus), my precious muse;**

**_shaetil_, that idiotic woman who was insane enough to help me write and translate freaking rap songs;**

**and _aerle_, my wonderful beta.**

**Thank you, guys! :3**

* * *

Sanji didn't remember when his obsession with rapping started, it had always been a part of his life. All he remembered was listening to rappers like Public Enemy, Sugarhill Gang and Run-D.M.C, and just trying to imitate them while tapping an unrecognizable beat with his feet.  
Rapping was a part of him.

Zeff adopted him when he was six, and Sanji gladly learnt everything the old man taught him. He loved cooking - and he had an actual talent and one of the best chefs as his stepfather -, but his real dream was being a rapper and being so good he would get an invitation to All Blue, the most famous production team ever in the history of rap.

When he first told the old geezer about his dream, he got a kick in the head. The next time Zeff just sighed and told him to practice hard if he really wants to get there someday.

So he practiced every day, spitting bars on every occasion he had - rapping about school, life, cooking, friends and really, about every little thing he laid his eyes on.  
The very first time when he had to write a short poem for literature class, he proudly stood up and started rapping like his life depended on it. It's not like he cared if anyone thought he was ridiculous - he just wanted to show them he could.

He loved rapping.

**xXxXxXxXx**

The sun was shining brightly, spreading warmth around the melting snow on the ground as four people were chatting happily in the middle of the park. A red haired woman was sitting on the bench with a long nosed guy with black, curly hair, and a brown haired, young boy was crouching next to them with an adorable look on his face. A blond, seemingly excited guy was pacing up and down in front of them, ranting about how he decided to take a big step towards getting famous.

"Are you serious, Sanji?" the guy with a long nose asked with genuine concern shadowing his face. "He's gonna kick your ass!"

The blond guy - Sanji - just grinned happily. "Like he could! You all know I'm much better than him! Fame is not everything."

The red haired woman looked like she was thinking hard about something. "I wouldn't bet on it. That guy really does know what he's doing."

"Nami-swaaan is so sweet when she's worrying about me!" Sanji exclaimed, only gaining a roll of eyes from Nami. He was always swooning over girls like this, and Nami, as scary as she was, wasn't an exception. The girl just bore with it. If Sanji wanted to be ridiculous, it was his choice.  
"Sanji..." the young brown haired boy warned with a dangerous undertone to his voice when the blonde took out a cigarette and placed it between his lips. "I told you, smoking is-"

"You already know that I don't care, Chopper. I've been smoking since I was 10. Wouldn't matter if I stopped now," Sanji responded with the cig in his mouth, rummaging through his pockets to find his lighter. When his fingers touched the cool metal, he smiled briefly and pulled it out to light his cigarette. He really needed a smoke now - he was getting too excited about that beef that would take place in three weeks at Grand Line, a grund used as a lumberyard these days.

The Grand Line was a popular place for rap battles like this - it was easy to get in, and there was enough place for everyone who wanted to cheer them on, or just simply watch. And also, it was pretty far from every populated area, so they wouldn't disturb anyone with the loud music. Only an old farmer lived near the Grand Line, but it seemed like the guy was deaf. Or he was probably dead already, just no one noticed.

It was actually a fucking great coincidence that the warden of the lumberyard was a big fan of rap music, and the guy gladly cooperated with the enthusiastic rappers who wanted to use the place, giving them the lumberjacks' time schedule so they could go when the grund was empty.  
Sanji exhaled the grey smoke, now feeling calmer than he did before, muscles relaxing as he concentrated on the feeling as the smoke left his lungs.

This was his chance.

He had to try really hard, giving his best performance. He wasn't afraid that the guy might beat him - Sanji was fucking great, dammit! - but he needed to impress Nami and the ladies that might be there.

He thought about writing a few lines in advance, but he dropped the idea. He wanted to be impressive and look like he really had talent, not someone who just spits used lines in a rap battle.

No preparations then, he decided, just rapping on impulse.

Sanji grinned excitedly at the thought. He always loved challenges.

"Good, now he's grinning like an idiot."

"Shut up, Usopp!" Sanji growled at the long nosed guy, but without any real edge to his words. "Do you know when Franky finishes work?"

Usopp glanced at his watch then quickly back to Sanji. "Three more hours."

Sanji just nodded, sucking on his cig and narrowing his eyes. "I gotta finish the lyrics for our song before then. I still need to write a few more lines. And there's a word that just won't fit..." Sanji groaned, flicking out a crumpled paper and glaring at his own scribbled writing like it was the root of all of his problems. "Any words that rhyme with 'well'?"

Nami sighed in defeat. The same question again. Every fucking time when Sanji couldn't finish a verse, he was asking for their help. Not that they could help - it didn't matter what they said, Sanji never used their suggestions.

"Bell?" Chopper tried, but Sanji just shook his head.

"Dwell?" Another few seconds of silence, then...

"Maybe hell...?" Usopp said, looking at the blonde like Sanji might kick him in the head because he actually said anything. It was the first time he tried to help him.

Sanji considered it for a moment, looking straight forward, deep in his thoughts, then his bright blue eyes widened in realization and he quickly took the pen that always hung on his jeans. He crouched down and dropped the paper to the concrete, starting to write something furiously. The three friends exchanged a look, and when Sanji finished writing, he started laughing happily. "Yes! Now I just need to check the flow and a few words again, and it's done!"

"That's very good, Sanji!" Chopper grinned happily.

"What about the beat?" the blonde looked at the little boy with an eager look on his face. "Could you work with the base I gave?"

"Of course we could!" Usopp laughed smugly. "I'm the great Usopp, captain of MCs! I can work with anything!"

Sanji chuckled and stood up from the ground, putting the now finished lyrics into his pocket contentedly.

"We'll send you the sample when it's done," Chopper informed him with a smile, and Sanji nodded happily. Everything going so well.

**xXxXxXxXx**

Nami was leaning against the wall with a headphone over her ears, just like the four guys that were also in the studio.

Chopper and Usopp were sitting behind a desk packed full of devices and turntables that looked too complicated to her that she couldn't even find the turn off button on them if they told her to. That's why she kept her distance from those scary machines, deciding to just listen to the music that filled her ears. First Sanji fumbled upon words, tongue not really cooperating because of the excitement the flowed through his veins, but a few minutes later, after starting again the recording for the third time, he finally found his balance.

Nami listened in awe as the lyrics and flow was melding together with the beat in perfect harmony, and when Franky sang the chorus in his raspy voice, Nami shuddered.

It was perfect. There was no way this wasn't going to be a hit in a week.

**xXxXxXxXx**

The day of the beef came more quickly than any of them had anticipated. It was just suddenly there, and Sanji was so nervous he thought he might throw up. He should have written a few words in advance, he was sure now. There was no way he was going to be able to improvise.

They already left the last street where there were still people living, and now they were walking on a deserted field only crossed by dusty dirt roads. Sanji could already spot the edge of the old McHale's farm. He eyed the fences intensely, trying to relax a bit, but it was no use. His stomach was doing flip-flops like it wanted to go on the Olympics, and his thoughts were spinning so fast he felt dizzy.

He couldn't fuck this up. He just couldn't.

He took a deep breath and imagined the defeated look on the guy's face when he realized Sanji won, and that made him a bit calmer, even if just a little. He wanted to show that egoistical, exhibitionist bastard that fame and good looks is not everything...

Okay, maybe 3-SwordZ had talent too, but whatever. Sanji was better.

They walked past the farm, slowly approaching the grund where already a few cars and trucks were parked.

"We're almost there!" Usopp said happily, picking up his pace a bit.

"What, did you get tired after such a short walk?" Nami asked in a mocking tone.

"Never! The great Usopp never gets tired! Once I climbed the Mount Everest, and I wasn't even panting when I reached the top!" he answered enthusiastically, gaining a loud 'wow' from Chopper and an unimpressed look from Nami.

"Look at that car! It looks super!" Franky exclaimed when they got closer, and he immediately started talking about cars, using terms only Usopp understood.

Nami turned to Sanji. "Sanji-kun, how are you feeling?"

"Like shit," the blonde frowned, not even realizing the way he answered his 'precious Nami-san', but Nami's eyes widened in surprise at that. Sanji never, never swore when he was around her, or if he did, he apologized right after. Sanji had to be freaking out about the beef if he behaved like this.

"Sanji-kun, it's gonna be okay," she flashed him her brightest smile she could muster up at the moment. "I know this is really important to you, but you need to relax."

"Nami is right," Chopper said, glancing up at Sanji. "You will just make mistakes if you're this nervous, and it really isn't healthy."

"I know..." Sanji muttered anxiously, sliding his hand into his pocket to take out his pack of cigarettes. They were already nearing the entrance of the grund by the time he managed to light it up. He stopped right before the gate, smoking his cig and watching carefully everyone who passed him and entered the lumberyard. He hadn't seen 3-SwordZ yet, but he would show up soon for sure. You don't want to be late if it's you who is performing.

He threw away the used butt of his cigarette, and he looked at Franky with a helpless look on his face, who just grinned at him in response.

"You ready?"

* * *

**_beef:_ the official slang rappers use for a rap battle.**

**_grund:_ german word for ground, usually an unused ground-plot.**

**Thank you for reading my story! I love reviews!  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone~ I'm here with the second chapter of BBH. I don't even know if anyone was waiting for it, but whatever... I love writing it :D**

**I have to thank _shaetil_ for helping me out with translating this song and _aerle_ for being my beta. Thank you so much guys, you are awesome! *hugs***

**The song used in this chapter is _A boldogság kék madara_ (The Blue Bird of Happiness) by _Tkyd_. You should listen to it to get a general idea about the beat and the flow. And just so you know, I have no idea how to write a rap song, so sorry if the English version sucks. I tried my best :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters and songs used in my fic. The OP characters belong to Oda Eiichiro while the songs belong to the hungarian rappers Tkyd, RatB and DSP. Some more may appear in later chapters.**

* * *

It was that day of the week, and Zoro was grinning from ear to ear when Kuina woke him up with a kick to the head.

"Bastard! It's almost noon, get up already! You're wasting my time too!" the girl with black hair frowned, already turning around and running out of the room. Zoro just chuckled and glanced to the bed on the other side of the room, noting that the blonde boy he shared it with was already out, maybe helping the kitchen staff with cleaning and washing the dishes. That boy was hopeless. He was only five, yet he wanted to work already, and he was strangely fascinated by cooking too. Surprisingly, the cooks always let him watch as they prepared the food for meals.

There was a small box wrapped up in blue paper on the blond boy's bed, but Zoro didn't really care what it was, even if it was a bit out of place. The blonde always cleaned his part of the room before leaving.

Zoro looked out of the window, and his grin grew wider when he noticed that the spring weather came earlier than it usually did, melting the late snow of February with its pleasant warmth. It was the second of March, and Zoro loved how the month came with bright sunshine instead of the usual rains and storms.

The green haired boy jumped out of his bed, rushing to the bathroom on bare feet, quickly brushing his teeth and sprinkling cold water on his face. He excitedly ran back to his room, changing into his white shirt and dark green trousers, tossing his pajamas to the floor carelessly. He would pick it up later, now he needed to hurry to the canteen and eat breakfast, or, as it was already noon, lunch. Kuina was probably going to smack the back of his head so hard he would see stars if he wasn't there in a few minutes.

The lunch passed quietly, and Zoro tried to stuff his face with food as quickly as he could without looking up at the darkly glaring Kuina. In ten minutes they were at the entrance, excitedly babbling about new CDs they could buy while they were waiting for Shakky to arrive.

"I want the album 'Back From Hell' from Run-D.M.C!" Zoro exclaimed happily, but Kuina just rolled her eyes. "Or 'Raising Hell'. I saw them last time, but then I didn't have enough money for them..."

"Then I'll buy the CD of Rakim. Shakky said he's really good," Kuina said with a smile, sliding her hands into her pocket to see if the money she earned was still there.

"He is," came the smooth voice from next to them, and the kids looked up with a surprised expression on their innocent faces. They hadn't heard as the tall, black haired woman approached them. She wore her usual pink shirt with a spider pattern over it, and she smiled at them warmly. "Shall we leave?"

**xXxXxXxXx**

They were walking back to the orphanage slowly, Kuina holding two CDs while in Zoro's hand there was only one. Shakky was watching over them from behind, smoking on her cigarette silently.

Zoro was eyeing the two CDs Kuina bought for a long time now, and as they approached the tall establishment they called home, the girl finally had enough of his staring. "What?"

"Why did you buy two? You never buy two."

Kuina rolled her eyes and sighed. "Is it a crime to buy two instead of one just once?"

The green haired boy frowned and turned his gaze away, and Kuina chuckled. "It's not for me."

Zoro quickly looked back to Kuina in shock. "Who are you giving it to?"

"Sanji, obviously," the girl sighed again. "You forgot, right? It's his birthday today."

A bright blush crept its way to his face and he looked away again in embarrassment. Damn, he _did_ forget it. His eyes widened in realization. So that's why there was a blue box on Sanji's bed!

"Ugh..."

"I knew you wouldn't remember it. We can give this to him together," Kuina laughed, raising the CD with one hand.

"Really?" the boy grinned, already rummaging through his pockets to find money to pay his half for the gift. He took out his hard earned money, eyeing it with a sad look on his face. There was so little left, and he was actually saving up so he could buy Kuina that mic she wanted for a long time now...

"You don't have to. I know you're putting that aside so you can buy something you want," the girl smiled at him, and Zoro blinked in surprise, slowly pocketing his money once again.

**xXxXxXxXx**

Zoro was clutching his pure white microphone with a stern look on his face. He concentrated on his breathing, feeling as the air filled his lungs and then let it out almost completely. His heartbeat calmed a little, and he let his mind wander around the faded memories of his long dead sister. He promised her he'll become the best.

He opened his eyes, glancing at the mic in his hand, and he remembered the day he gave it to her, and then that time when he was crying his eyes out in his bed, hugging the mic to his chest helplessly.

It was the only proof of their promise.

_"I bought this so you can be the best. You need to be the best, so I'll be able to beat you. And then you could beat me. And we could be the best together."_

They said this guy was some big fish, and if he managed to beat him, than his name could be even greater than before.

He couldn't find anything about the man on the web other than his name, his songs and a few pictures of him. Tora, as his stage name was, had dark black hair and strangely yellowish brown eyes, and on every picture he wore a weird white hat with black patterns over it. Zoro guessed it wanted to symbolize the fur of a snow panther. Or whatever.

Tora's songs were pretty well written indeed. The flow was undeniably good, the beat catchy and the lyrics hit pretty hard.

Zoro frowned.

He needed his best performance.

**xXxXxXxXx**

Actually, the guy was so easy to beat that Zoro hadn't even had to try hard to make the man eat his own words. His rhymes ripped the man off his own dignity, made him turn red in embarrassment and silent fury, and when Zoro sent him a cocky grin, the guy even gasped in the middle of a line, ruining the verse completely.

Zoro didn't even know he was this good.

He celebrated the victory in a bar with his friends, and he just grinned proudly when Luffy and Brook kept ordering booze for him. It was pretty nice, really.

The next day he woke up with a splitting headache and a terribly bitter taste on his tongue. Fuck, he wouldn't be drinking this much _ever again_. He groggily sat up on his bed, yawning and stretching his sore limbs a bit. He needed a shower, dammit. He reeked like a homeless who just climbed out of a pile of trash before drinking at least three bottles of vodka.

Okay, right, it wasn't that bad, but he still smelled awful.

He quickly stripped, throwing his dirty clothes to the floor unceremoniously before walking to the bathroom, standing in his shower and opening the faucet to let the warm water pour down on him. He lifted his head a bit so the warm drops massaged his face, enjoying the pleasant feeling that washed over him. He loved morning showers. Even if somehow he always happened to have them at noon.

He finished quickly, and after a few minutes he was already sitting on his bed with his laptop in his lap.  
He was checking the new talents, like usually, surfing on rap and hip-hop sites just to see if anyone good had popped up yet, but only the same old, boring and talentless bastards flooded the place with their music that was just as boring and talentless as them. Zoro sighed and already decided to close his laptop, when something caught his eye at the last moment.

Just one little word.

_Prince_.

Fuck, why did that sound so familiar...?

The man observed the word highlighted in light blue like the site usually announced the artists, then after a few moments of hesitation he clicked on the name. The link brought him to the artist's profile, but it didn't provide Zoro with more information - it only said Prince was a guy, obviously, and that he has a few singles uploaded to the site.

Zoro raised his eyebrows. From the reviews and ratings this guy got, he must be pretty good. He thought about if he should listen to his songs or not, then curiosity got the better of him and he clicked on a random title he saw - it said 'The Blue Bird of Happiness ft. MC Fran.'

The song started to play with a slow, mesmerizing melody, and Zoro closed his eyes so he could enjoy the music - he imagined flashing lights, flattering wings and long lost world - and he shuddered as Prince's voice boomed into his ear from his headphones.

_Hey DJ, let's put a rusty record on for me  
Then let's listen together as my heart starts to bleed  
Every word I write shall blast into the naked ground  
And become a plant later, turning the world to green from brown  
A rainbow in front of me, behind me there's a stone wall  
I need more time and I feel how life devours all  
There's only spider's webs instead of my dreams  
Why should I be a servant when I was born a Prince?  
I get harsh pain in my neck for every good I did  
Don't take the blue pill, Neo, if you don't like it  
We're all greedy and we know it fucking well  
We were tailored in heaven but were mis-measured in hell  
We don't appreciate anything only stoned sex  
I opened the gate, but where'd you go with morals like that?  
You can't register the ocean in your right mind  
By the time you understand it you're already a step behind_.

Zoro was staring at the ceiling of his room, totally lost in the music. It was so good, fuck, this guy was the first real talent for... what, like, years?

And this rough, smoky voice gave him shudders of the best kind, he just couldn't stop listening to it.  
He already respected the guy, and he hadn't even met him. It was both ridiculous and fantastic in its own way.

_I have the bullets, please give me my gun  
The two of us could work, but alone like this I'm gone  
I have a picture in my head, I quietly set it on fire  
I could have lived happily and normally until I retire  
But a dark door leads, bro, into a dark closed room  
Where ten million all admire each and every thing I do  
On a colorless stage the mike scatters random words  
I was born pure, now demons are a part of my world_.

He was lost in his thoughts. This guy must have experienced a lot. It was like remembering his own past... Zoro gritted his teeth. Stop this! There's no time for pondering over things that happened so long ago.

This time a different, deeper, raspier voice started to sing, and Zoro recognized the technique immediately. It was ragga, and yeah, it was pretty popular these days in rap songs - those who could pull this technique usually sang the chorus.

_Listen kid, open up your wings  
Chase away your shadows, let the light in  
Never give up, you have to fulfill your wish  
Just close your eyes, and follow your dreams_.

Fuck. This other guy was good too. Ragga technique was fucking hard, though hearing it from this man it sounded... so natural, so easy.

He sighed contentedly as Prince started again. He loved hearing his voice... Shit, he was getting addicted. It hadn't happened since he got out from the orphanage. This was something new, though it was so eerily familiar that he started freaking out.

_If you're throwing stones at me I'll kill you with a stone  
If you wanna burn me, trust me, you won't bear it alone  
There are snakes living around me, I always hear them hissing  
But I have powers over them, they know that I'm a Sith here  
In your deserted mind I became the oasis  
Maybe I starve to death tomorrow but I won't break my loyalty  
This world is as hard as we made it to be  
We shared and sliced it up, bought and sold it to live  
We stepped on everyone who wanted to put us down  
I was stepped on by so many, but I'm the one who steps on them now  
The words I spit out are changing everything  
I alone give you much more than what the wise men did  
Those who didn't know me, now will, still forget everything in the end  
This is so honest that the magician drops his wand  
The reject rots to death, but it waits for you until you get it  
If the blue bird flies towards you, bro, you better catch it  
In a lonely desert I was born into a nest of dirt  
Just a simple window through which I see the outside world  
Where everyone is beautiful, but everyone feels so down  
But everything changes once, so hush! maybe now  
I don't have a teen face, girls, like that JB does  
But each and every night you can feel the meaning of my love  
We were enemies so far, so now let's be friends  
If reality materializes in you, I swear I'll follow the trends  
Sometimes I catch people staring at me  
Respect in their eyes, but they still won't greet me  
I don't know them, they call me their friend anyway  
So let this song be the highlight of the day._

Zoro shuddered again as the other guy - he glanced at the song title again - MC Fran started singing the chorus once more.

The whole song was so... perfect, so good.

Okay, there _were_ some little mistakes, just small things that sometimes stopped the flow, but all in all, it was good. The song was way better than anything he had listened to in years.

As the song slowly ended, Zoro checked Prince's profile again, only to find the same empty page with the guy's name, without any proper information. It was frustrating. He needed to listen to his other songs too, like... right now.

He was ready to click at another randomly chosen song, when someone loudly knocked on his door.

"What?!" he asked in an annoyed tone, only to get the answer he didn't want to hear.

"Swordsman-san, it would be polite if you let me in," a smooth voice called from the other side of the door, and Zoro shut his laptop, putting it aside and slowly getting up from the bed.

"So much for resting today," he muttered. Everyone knew they shouldn't disturb Zoro on Saturdays - it was his 'alone' day. So why was Robin here?

"What do you want?" Zoro scowled at her as soon as the door was open, earning an icy glare from the black haired woman.

"I came to tell you you're going to have a beef on Monday," Robin said slowly, letting her lips curl up with the smallest of smiles. Zoro shuddered. Robin was a good producer, but sometimes she just... freaked him out.

"On Monday?" Zoro repeated incredulously. "But I have like... two days till Monday!"

Robin just raised her eyebrows. "I am surprised to learn you can count to two," the woman said teasingly. Not that her face or her voice showed anything - it was that playful glint in her eyes that betrayed her. During these last few years Zoro had learnt how to read Robin's actions, and he was more than glad to say he could finally call Robin his friend.

Zoro's features darkened a bit. Yes, they've been through tough times... He certainly needed a friend like Robin.

The woman's face softened a bit, like she knew what the rapper was thinking about, and she offered him a small smile - though this time it was a real, genuine smile, the kind that warmed Zoro's heart and made him smile back.

The green haired man took a step back, inviting Robin into his room. He didn't ask who let her in - it was obviously Brook, the tall, skeleton-like guy he shared this flat with along with Luffy. And yeah, if it had been Luffy who had let Robin in, things would have been a bit more... noisy. So Luffy was probably hanging out with his brother and his friends, thank God.

Brook, Luffy and Robin all took part in producing his music - Brook and Luffy made beats to go with Zoro's lyrics, and it was Robin who finally decided if it was good enough to put it on an album or not. It was a small team, but they were good enough to become popular among rapper communities, and Zoro was grateful he had met them.

"So, who did you set me up with?" Zoro asked as he sat down on his bed again, already opening his laptop, ready to type in the name of his opponent. "I mean, I should at least listen to a few of their songs."

Robin glanced at him with an unreadable look on her face. "It's Prince."

* * *

**Thank you so much for reading my fic! I love reviews!**


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